Tesla’s on fire again! And not in the positive way. Poor Tesla. Almost on the heels of Model S engine fires and then a fire at a factory, Tesla is now recalling 29,222 vehicle chargers for the 2013 Model S because they may overheat and catch fire.

Volvo has issued a recall for S60 models designated as 2011 and 2012 model years, specifically those built between June 22, 2010 through May 14, 2012, cars that were manufactured with 5-cylinder engines (VIN code 62). The software on these cars may be defective and not alert the driver if the engine goes into a low pressure situation. Obviously, without warning that the engine is low on oil, the driver will not remedy the situation and continue driving until the engine stalls or seizes, which could cause a serious crash.

Volvo has said it began notifying owners in late December, and the process should continue through early January.

The software will be updated/fixed for free to allow it to recognize low oil pressure and warn the driver accordingly. Owners can contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552 with any questions or concerns.

The Michelin man has decided to recall 1.2 million of its LTX M/S tires, specifically size LT225/75R16 115/112R LRE. These tires have typically been used on many Fords, as well as light trucks, RVs, vans, and pickup trucks. It seems these tires may be susceptible to tread separation, which, of course, is extremely bad. If this happens, a crash will almost be impossible to avoid. The production dates for the tires in question are January 10, 2010–June 23, 2012.

Michelin has said it will notify all owner and dealers beginning next month, and will replace these defective tires for free. Owners may contact Mr. Michelin at 1-800-231-5893 with any questions.

The Tesla Model S has had its share of news coverage. The recent engine fires have been everywhere from television to You Tube. It has made for some pretty bad press for Tesla. Model S owners aren’t too happy either. Shareholders have shown their disgust. However, the news isn’t all bad. The Model S is available in Germany and the government there has done its own investigation.

It’s always a little frightening when you hear of a recall on the vehicle you drive. Kinda feels like Russian roulette every time you start it up. I apologize to all of you who drive a 2013 Ford Escape.

Ford has issued a recall, which will begin in January, on all 2013 Ford Escape SUVs with 1.6 liter engines. According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 139,917 vehicles are capable of having the engine catch fire. These cars may “experience localized overheating of the cylinder head which may cause cracks that could allow oil to leak.” The oil can leak onto the hot engine and cause a fire.

Of those covered in the recall 9,469 are also involved in a secondary recall due to faulty fuel lines which may have been improperly installed at the plant. The same possibility exists. Fuel leaks onto the engine and catches a spark which leads to an engine fire.

As of November 18th, there have been 12 reported engine fires on these vehicles in the United States and one in Canada. No injuries have occurred. The fire tends to be contained in the engine compartment and there is ample time to exit your vehicle before the situation becomes life-threatening.

As is customary with manufacturer recalls, you will be notified if you are affected and all repairs will be done free of charge. In the first instance, Ford dealers can modify the engine shielding, cooling and control systems. For the smaller recall, the fuel line will be inspected and replaced if necessary. If you have any questions you may contact Ford directly at 1-866-436-7332.

The official recall does not begin for about 8 more weeks, on January 23rd, but you may take your vehicle to a Ford dealership any time to have it inspected and repaired. As with any vehicle defect, the sooner the better.

Honda has issued a recall of its Odyssey models built between August 8, 2006–September 8, 2008 which encompasses most 2007 and 2008 models. The recall totals a whopping 344,187 models in all and is due to a potential malfunction of the car's software. This potential defect may cause the Vehicle Safety Assist System (VSA) to engage the brakes unexpectedly and forcefully. What's worse yet is that when the brakes are applied by the VSA, the brake lights do not light up, which could cause a potentially fatal crash.

Unfortunately, replacements parts for this recall will not be available for at least another six months. Honda has said they will notify owners of the potential problem and include instructions on how to avoid having the car brake unexpectedly. Obviously when parts become available, Honda will notify owners immediately and set up a free repair of the issue. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009 with any questions they may have.

Automakers want to be in the public eye. That’s why they spend so much money on advertising and product placement in television shows. There’s a saying that all publicity is good publicity but I think Tesla would disagree. They are in the news once again, this time for an industrial accident that occurred at their plant in Palo Alto, California.

Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American who lived from 1856 to 1946. He was an electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and physicist. He was considered a “mad scientist” by the main populace of the time. He had astonishing ideas and managed to make quite a few of them work. He worked with Thomas Edison for a while and we have them to thank for quite a bit of our modern technology. Tesla’s name is now fittingly attached to an electric car company. Unfortunately it seems that this manufacturer is living up to the “mad scientist” legacy.

In what seems like yet another chapter in an almost unending series of recalls, Toyota has issued another recall of 2012-2013 Camry, Venza, and Avalon vehicles (including all HV models) totaling a startling 802,769 cars in all. What is the issue you ask? Well, it seems that the air conditioning condenser drain hose has a propensity to become clogged which could cause water to accumulate in the air conditioning unit's housing. Obviously, since this water is not supposed to be there, it could then leak onto the air bag control module which could cause the module to short out. If the air bag module short's out, this could cause serious problems for drivers, passengers, and other motorists. The air bags may not deploy at all which could cause serious injury in the advent of a crash, or the short may cause the air bags to inadvertently deploy which could cause a crash and/or serious injury.

Veterans of the recall practice, Toyota will notify all owners and schedule a free fix of the air conditioning condenser unit housing as well as add a protective cover on the air bag module to keep any moisture away from affecting it. Owners can contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 with questions or to schedule their repair. Read on for the full report ...